CHAPTER V
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
They were awakened at daybreak the next morning by a battered tinfalling on their heads, followed by a shower of pieces of red paper.
All three jumped up and were wide awake in a second for all aroundthem was the din of battle. For a moment they thought they were backin France and that a big bombardment was on. But on looking throughthe trees under which they had been sleeping, they saw a crowd of boysshooting off firecrackers and putting bunches of them under barrelsand tin pans.
"This is no place for us!" exclaimed Billy. "I despise the Fourth ofJuly and its celebration, and this is just what it is. If those boyssee us, it will be all up with us, for if there is one thing boyslove, it is to torture animals on the Fourth by tying bunches offirecrackers and tin cans on their tails."
"Well, thank goodness, my tail is so short they will have a good timetying anything on it," exulted Stubby.
"Mine too!" replied Billy.
"But how about mine?" said Button. "It is long enough to tie a wholestring of crackers to it."
While they were talking, the boys started to run in their directionand came straight toward them. When they were within hearing distance,the Chums heard them say, "Let's pretend the trees and bushes are afort. We'll put a lot of powder around them and blow them up."
"What did I tell you?" said Billy. "There is no safe place for men orbeasts on the Fourth of July if there is a boy within a hundredmiles."
"What shall we do?" asked Stubby. "If we stay here we will be blown upor maimed for life. And if we run out, the whole pack will probablyset upon us."
"I say we show fight anyway," said Button. "In the first place, theydon't know we are here and in the second we have the advantage oftaking them by surprise. Billy, you can butt them while Stubby bitestheir heels and I will run up their backs and scratch the shirts offtheir shoulders."
"Good idea, Button!" commended Billy. "You should have been a General,at least, in the army."
"Oh, stop your fooling and mind when I hiss we all jump out of thebushes at once and attack our victims. Select the boy you will attackas they come toward us."
"All right," replied Billy. "I'll attack that big, red-headed boy whoseems to be the leader."
"And I'll go for that snub-nosed, freckled-faced urchin with theragged pants, as he seems to be displaying a fine amount of shins atpresent," said Stubby.
"Then I'll go for that boy who runs with his head and shoulders down.It gives me a good expanse of back to scratch," said Button.
On came the boys, whooping and hallooing with all the power of theirlungs. But when they were within twenty feet of the trees and bushesthat concealed our Chums, they jumped out at them. The leader stoppedin his tracks, too dazed and surprised to move at seeing a strangegoat come flying out of the bushes straight toward him with headlowered to butt. He scarcely had time to know he _was_ surprised whenhe was hit in the pit of the stomach and sent sprawling in the sandfifteen feet away. As he picked himself up he saw a funny sight--a bigboy running straight for the lake with a big, black cat sitting on hisshoulders scratching the shirt off his back. Button never moved, butstuck to him as the boy swam farther and farther out. At last itseemed to occur to the boy to dive, which he did and Button, hatingthe water as all cats do, jumped for a big rock that was sticking outof the water. There he sat and meowed for Billy to swim out and carryhim to shore on his back as he had often done before. But Billy wasnowhere in sight. After butting the boy he had disappeared ascompletely as if the earth had opened and swallowed him.
As for Stubby, he had chased all the boys up town, first biting oneboy's shins and then attacking another until he had driven themhowling two or three blocks from where they started. When he saw hehad gotten the boys so far away, he stopped chasing them and went backto see what Billy and Button were doing. But when he reached the oldspot neither Billy nor Button was anywhere in sight. All he could seewas a black object on a rock sticking out of the water. It looked likesome one's wet muff or old coat. He did not know that that same wetmuff was his own beloved Button.
Button was meowing as loudly as he could for Stubby to swim out andrescue him, but the wind was in the wrong direction to carry his voiceto Stubby. Stubby looked around and even set up a howl, trying to findout where Billy and Button had gone, but no answering call came back.He sniffed around but could get no scent of them. Then all of a suddenhe saw a boy come out of the lake and run up the shore. He startedafter him on a dead run, thinking that perhaps he would lead him tosome boys who might have captured Billy. He was running with his headdown when all of a sudden he pitched headlong into a dry well. Whatwas his surprise on opening his eyes after the shock to find himselfstaring into Billy Whiskers' eyes!
"How in green gooseberries did _you_ get here?" he asked.
"Same way you did! I took a header and here I am! I have baaed my headnearly off calling to you and Button to come to my rescue, but not asound could I hear. Somehow or other my voice did not seem to carry."
"We certainly are in a pretty pickle! Lost in an abandoned well on alake shore with no habitation within a quarter of a mile. This will beour tomb unless some one chances to pass this way soon. And thechances are that no one will pass this way for weeks."
"Where can that cat be?" asked Billy. "It sounds to me as if he toowas in a hole or shut up somewhere and cannot get out."
"Yes, where can he be?" echoed Stubby. "First we hear his voice, thenwe don't hear it. It sounds a good way off at that. Say, Billy, Ithink I see a way out. You stand up on your hind legs and I will runup your back and see if I can't jump out of this well. It isn't morethan eight feet deep and when you stand up you must be about six orseven feet tall."
"Yes, I should think I would measure that. But how are you to get roomto get a running start?"
"I can't do that. I shall just have to climb up your leg by pullingmyself, holding onto your hair and digging my claws into your back."
"Thanks! That sounds fine for me, I am sure!"
"Well, isn't it better than staying here and saving your skin anddying of hunger and thirst?"
"I suppose it is, but when you are out, how do you propose getting meout, as there will be no one up whose back I can run and jump?"
"Oh, that will be all right! When I am out, I can run and bring someone to help you out."
"Yes, I know, Mr. Stubby-tail. But do you realize that it is going tobe some job to get a goat of my size out of a deep, narrow hole likethis?"
"To be sure I do! But that can easily be accomplished when once I finda man to accompany me here to see what is down in this well. Men withpulleys can soon hoist you out."
"Well, I hope so, for I am getting tired already of being confinedhere. Just hear that cat howl now!"
"Listen! I hear voices. He must see some one walking on the beach. Ihear two people talking and they are coming this way! Let's baa andbark for all we are worth!"
This they did, and a little girl and her father who were walking alongthe beach heard the meow of a cat come floating to them across thewater and the baa of a goat and the bark of a dog float to them fromthe land on the other side. Still they could see no cat, dog or goat.All they could discover was a black coat or something like it lyingout on the rocks.
Presently the little girl cried out, "Oh, papa, see! The coat ismoving! It isn't a coat at all, but a _cat_. Did you see its longtail?"
"Sure enough, it is a cat. Most likely some bad boy has thrown it inthe water with a stone tied to its neck, to try to drown it, but ithas managed to crawl up on the rocks."
"Poor kitty! Let us go get our rowboat and bring it off. Will you,papa?"
"Yes, dear; if you want to, we will."
On their way to get the boat they passed within a few feet of thewell, and though they heard both Billy's and Stubby's voices theycould see them nowhere, and the wind played sad havoc for it madetheir voices sound as if they came from the opposite direction. Afterstopping several times and li
stening without being able to decidewhere the animals were, they walked on. Billy and Stubby could heartheir voices die away in the distance.
"Now, Billy, there is a chance lost, so stand up and let me see if Ican't climb up on your back and get out."
It took many trials, but at last by Billy putting his hind legsagainst one wall of the well and bracing his forehead against theopposite wall, Stubby managed to jump on his back and climb to hishead, from where he gave a big leap and landed outside the well.
"Now, Billy, don't worry! I will soon find some one to get you out. IfI don't, I promise you on my sacred word of honor to come back hereand die with you."
It was not a rash promise on Stubby's part for already he had seenthe man and his little daughter rowing out to take Button off therocks.
"Now is my chance," thought he. "Here is a kind-hearted man going tothe rescue of a cat. Why won't he be a good one to come to the aid ofa goat? I'll go down by the shore and wait until they land. Then Iwill bark and run up to the well and make such a fuss that they willfollow me to see what is down there."
Button was sitting on the little girl's lap enjoying the petting shewas giving him when he saw Stubby standing on the beach, and he meowedto him, saying, "Well, old Chum, where have you been? And why didn'tyou come to help me off the rocks?"
To which Stubby replied, "Good reason enough! I fell into a well andonly just now got out. And when you land you must help me make thisman go to Billy's rescue."
"Why Billy's rescue? Where is he?" asked Button excitedly.
"Down the well, silly!"
"You said nothing about Billy being down a well, but only mentionedyourself. How in the world did you both happen to fall down a well?"
"Don't ask so many questions. Just do as I tell you to do now andafter Billy is out I will answer all you wish to ask."
"Papa, this dog and cat must know each other. Just hear how they meowand bark messages to one another. He is a cute looking little dog, butthis cat is a real beauty. He has such big yellow eyes just like glassbuttons and his fur is so soft and silky. May I keep him for my veryown?"
"Yes, dear, if you want to, for he does not seem to be wanted byanybody."
The boat had no sooner touched the shore than Stubby began makingfriends with the man and his daughter by walking on his hind legs,turning somersaults and doing all sorts of cute tricks. After he haddone all his show tricks he ran over to where Billy was imprisoned,and ran round and round the rim of the well, looking in and barkingvery loudly. Then he ran back to the man and little girl and takinghold of the man's trousers leg he began to pull him in the directionof the well.
"What is the matter with you, you crazy little dog?"
Then Stubby let go his hold and raced back to the well. When hereached there, he jumped in, hoping this would bring the man and hisdaughter to the brink of the well to see what had become of him, andin trying to find out they would discover Billy.
His plan worked, for he had no sooner disappeared down the well thanButton jumped out of the little girl's arms and ran after Stubby. Themoment he saw Billy and Stubby both down at the bottom of the well, hetoo jumped in.
"I declare to goodness there must be some kind of a hole there,Nellie, and those animals have found something in it to interest them.We must hurry over and see what it is."
Can't you picture the surprise on their faces when they looked downthe well and discovered a big Billy goat as well as the dog and catthey had followed?
"Bless my soul, Nellie, if there isn't a big, live goat down there! Sowe _did_ hear a goat baa when we thought we did! Poor animal! I wonderif he was hurt when he fell in, for that is a nasty, deep hole. Butthe question now is how in the world are we going to get him out?"
"Yes, that is it," baaed Billy, but of course the man did notunderstand what Billy was saying to him.
"Poor thing! He may have been here for days and be nearly dead forwant of food and water. But I guess not as he looks too fat for that.Nellie, run home and tell Tom to bring a pulley, rope and ladder fromover on the lake where Mr. Stilwell's house used to stand before itburned."
Nellie was soon back from her errand, bringing her big brother and thehired man with her.
As Nellie's father turned his back to the well, Billy stood on hishind feet and Stubby climbed out of the well as he had once before.When Mr. Noland turned around, there was Stubby frisking around hisfeet.
"I'll be switched if here isn't that clever little dog again! How inthe world do you suppose he got out of that well unless spooks boostedhim?"
"Or the goat butted him out. That is more likely," replied his son.
"Now put the ladder down the well, and I'll go down and fasten therope around the goat's body while you and Dan fix a brace to put thepulley on to pull him up," said Mr. Noland, ignoring his son's remark.
The hired man lowered the ladder into the well, but it had scarcelytouched the bottom and found a secure footing when Billy climbed upthe rungs as nimbly as a cat. This act made Mr. Noland's eyes fairlypop out of his head, while all the rest stood with open mouths. Noneof them had ever seen any animal as large as Billy climb a ladder. Yousee Billy's old circus stunts stood him in good stead once in awhile. When he traveled with the circus, the clowns had taught him toclimb a ladder halfway to the top of the big circus tent.
"I claim this goat as my own," said Nellie's brother.
"And I the cat!" said Nellie quickly.
"But where do I come in?" said their father. Just then Stubby barked,and Mr. Noland said, "Well, I'll take the dog and I think I have thebest of the bargain at that, for he can almost talk. If it had notbeen for the dog, neither of you would have had a pet. It was he thatled us to this abandoned well."
"You forget, father, that the cat showed you the way too," saidNellie.
"I think the best thing we can do now is to go home and get somesupper and also give our new-found friends some food. I'll wager thatthey are hungry. They must have come a long way, for I never saw anyof them around here before, and I know every dog and cat in the town.I won't say goat, for no one owns a goat," said Nellie's father.
So it happened that the Chums were given a good supper and beds ofstraw in the woodshed and then left to themselves for the night. Atleast that is what all of them thought, but the day being the Fourthof July made a difference for just as they were dropping off to sleepthe stick of a Roman candle fell on the woodshed and burned a holethrough the roof. Some sparks fell down and set fire to the straw onwhich the Chums were sleeping and in a few minutes straw, woodshed andall were in a blaze, and they only escaped with their lives becausethey were high jumpers and thus able to escape through the littlewindow in the side of the shed. Billy was so large that he could notmake it the first time, and he fell back into the fire, but the secondtime he went through, taking half the side of the woodshed with him.His hair was all on fire, but he had sense enough to roll in the sandand put it out instead of running. If you run when your clothes are onfire, you only feed the flames breeze you make and the fire burnsfaster than ever. When it was all out, Billy went down to the lake andhad a good swim to rid himself of the smell of burnt hair.
When he came back, he was surprised to see a ring of peopleen-circling something that was making them laugh and clap their handswith delight. When he was near enough to stick his head between thecrowd of people, what do you suppose he saw? There were Stubby andButton flying round and round, being chased by Fourth of July niggerchasers or snakes, as some people call this kind of fireworks. Theyare funny looking things that when set on fire twist and turn likelive snakes, and no one can tell where they are going next. Theconsequences are that they are always surprising one and coming afterthem when they least expect it. The crowd had conceived the idea ofmaking a circle so Stubby and Button could not run away, and thensetting off a lot of these to chase them. It was Stubby's and Button'sfrantic efforts to escape that had caused all the fun and laughter.
"Here is the goat!" called out a lad. "Let's get him in the ri
ng too!"
But instead of getting him in the ring as proposed, that lad foundhimself going up in the air like a balloon, one of Billy's mightybutts having sent him.
This broke up the party and when all had disappeared and the threefriends were alone again, Billy said, "Didn't I _tell_ you the Fourthof July was a bad day for animals?"